Daron loves to ask big questions and share his discoveries. He is a diligent student and experienced teacher of my Basic Mindfulness approach. Daron has a knack for customizing practical strategies to fit individual interests and needs. You will find his curiosity contagious and his insights liberating and down-to-earth.

“Daron has upped my meditation game in ways that I have a hard time even describing. I had previously been meditating with an app on my phone, which was really great for a while, but I got to a point where I felt that I was missing something. I wanted to explore further, and within just one session, I knew he was going to be able to help me do just that.

He immediately recognized where I was in my practice, and gave me so many tools to confidently further this practice that I previously felt I had maybe plateaued. I look forward to every session with him because he brings so much experience, compassion, knowledge, and he is always genuinely interested in my progress. I am so excited to have him as my coach, and I can’t imaging working with anyone else.”

Mindfulness teachers have varying styles, personalities, and approaches to teaching.

If you want an exotic, mystical master in robes or a coach selling a shiny branded cure-all, then look elsewhere. However, If you’re looking for a regular human being like yourself, who is honest, kind, and possesses useful mindfulness skills to share, then you’ve found a worthy teacher in Daron.

I get two hugely valuable things from working with Daron. First, listening to Daron teach mindfulness regularly feels like remembering something important that I knew when I was young and somehow forgot. Second, you get to see where the practice leads in how Daron relates to you and others. When Daron talks with you or others, you know he isn’t thinking about what’s for lunch. Instead he is deeply present, curious, and focused on you and it is a pleasure to experience.

The felt experience of these two things cannot be faked and they are the proof of the content of the teaching and the credibility of the teacher.

~ Ethan Finley, MA, MSW, LSW

Daron has been a tremendous resource as I've sought to better understand mindfulness, set realistic goals, identify best practices, and measure my progress. He has drawn upon more than a decade of experience and introspection to identify obstacles and assist me in overcoming them with practical tools and techniques. Having helped me establish a strong foundation, he has encouraged my independence while remaining ready with words of encouragement and helpful advice as needed. I strongly recommend Daron to anyone seeking to understand, establish or improve upon the practice of mindfulness.

~ Richard P.

For at least three years, I have attended Daron Larson’s Attentional Fitness Training classes at the Upper Arlington Senior Center. By now maybe I should have a complete understanding of equanimity and acceptance of “what is,” but in my mind, I see that my learning will be ever ongoing.

Attending Daron’s Attentional Fitness practice sessions, I notice that I am moving from self-consciousness toward self-awareness. Daron gently and skillfully facilitates quiet reflection and an ongoing conversation about perception. Doors to varied layers of consciousness open; there is more to note, to perceive, to sense, to imagine and other portals to squeeze through. Such revelations and insights into mind, relationships, and daily living sometimes feel “mind blowing,” and yet, at the same time, extremely practical, and give me strategies to get through the day. Thanks to Daron’s guidance, experiencing and practicing Attentional Fitness affords me comfort and confidence to BE present in the moment.

~ Carol Kirwin, Columbus, Ohio

Let me start by saying that Daron is one of the kindest people you will ever meet. He is an outstanding listener, very intelligent, and extremely easy to get along with. He has spent a significant amount of time honing his skills and spreading mindfulness to as many people as he can reach.

I personally was shown first hand just how useful mindfulness can be in our everyday lives. I, like many of others, tend to get a bit heated while driving through our bustling downtown. Daron showed me how to use mindfulness to process my feelings in the present situation, which allowed me to validate and move on without having said "road rage" for the rest of the day. I have no doubts that Daron will be successful in his quest to improve others' levels of mindfulness.

We used Daron for our annual team meeting and he provided us with some great tools and information on how we can find peace at work. He is definitely an expert in his field. I would definitely recommend his services to those looking at mindfulness in the workplace!

~ Kate Billy, Director of Donor Relations at Otterbein University

I recently had the opportunity to engage in a session that Daron presented on mindfulness. Not only did I learn about what mindfulness is and some of the things he has learned from practicing it, but I also learned ways in which I can be more mindful in my own life.

Daron says that mindfulness is about paying attention differently on purpose. Psychology Today describes it as "...a state of active, open attention on the present. When you're mindful, you observe your thoughts and feelings from a distance, without judging them good or bad. Instead of letting your life pass you by, mindfulness means living in the moment and awakening to experience." They key is paying greater attention to what is happening around you and simply noticing more of the details with less judgment.

If you have ever been to a session like this before, you sometimes leave feeling like there is a mountain to climb in order to make the smallest change in your life. It can be overwhelming or you simply forget to do it. I felt the opposite. Daron introduced small, simple ways in which I could be more aware and observant of what's happening around me....including taking time to feel my feelings.

I have been a student in a variety of Daron’s classes and practice sessions over the past six years. Initially I enrolled out of curiosity and a desire to commit more fully to a meditation practice. However, Daron introduced me not just to mindfulness meditation; he introduced me to a mindful way of life.

Daron’s ongoing course through Upper Arlington Lifelong Learning taught me the basic concepts of meditation along with the opportunity to practice in a guided environment thus building my confidence in my own abilities. Other courses and sessions he has offered at various locations in the community have helped me build on those basics and expand my mindfulness skill set. Recently I have had the pleasure of participating in a guided phone session of Daron’s in conjunction with Shinzen Young.

These tools and Daron’s encouragement have come in especially handy in recent years while I went through a difficult transition in my life. Having a mindfulness meditation practice in place helped me to focus on the present moment at times when doing anything else felt very overwhelming. Being able to stay in my body when my head was filled with fear and worry provided me with the stability I needed to make my way through the transition to the other side.

Witnessing Daron’s growth as an instructor and meditator inspires me to continue with my own mindfulness practice. His commitment to living mindfully in his own life sets a wonderful example for those of us blessed to follow after him.

~ Krista Hilton, Columbus, Ohio

I now think of my physical aches as gifts that promote my taking time to be mindful.

~ Anonymous participant, Upper Arlington Lifelong Learning & Leisure

I have practiced various forms of meditation for many years and have incorporated meditation into my work with cancer survivors and co-survivors. I believe strongly in the benefits of meditation. I’m humbled to say that I sought out an opportunity to strengthen my skills and practice of mindfulness at a time when I was struggling with some difficult transitions in my life.

I enrolled in Daron’s classes and immediately found myself in a supportive environment that combined meaningful explanations of mindfulness with real experiential opportunities for guided practice. Daron is a thoughtful and skilled teacher who carefully guides his students through techniques and strategies for bringing mindfulness into their daily attention and awareness. His obvious enthusiasm encourages the students in his classes to practice on their own with confidence. What I particularly value about his classes is his emphasis on the “applied” aspects of mindfulness practice. Daron empowers his students to learn and expand their skills through regular practice.

It’s not unusual to see some familiar faces in Daron’s classes – the atmosphere of acceptance, engagement and compassionate participation is characteristic of every class session and brings participants back to continue their practice and benefit. Daron is expert in cultivating an environment where experiential learning occurs and participants feel motivated and inspired to explore the many benefits of mindfulness in daily life. He brings compassion, kindness and skill to every class.

Daron makes mindfulness accessible. He is wonderful in his thoughtful and humorous approach. He presents strategies that can be easily incorporated into my daily routine, whether I’m on a conference call, driving I-70, or jogging down the bike path. And by practicing his strategies routinely, I’m beginning to have moments of spontaneous clarity that brighten my day or make painful moments less intense. I’m also beginning to recognize where internal emotions express themselves silently, yet physically. In short, I’m noticing more, if not struggling less. Thanks, Daron!

After I spoke with Daron regarding my anxiety, and my desire to understand and resolve it, I was amazed at how easy a task it was to overcome it. Sounds impossible, yes? I certainly thought so before we spoke, and in fact, I was quite certain I was a hopeless case and unable to function and do the things I loved again without fear, paranoia and an eventual panic attack.

Daron has a wonderful ability to clearly describe in words and expressions the multitude of unknowns within anxiety, and in life itself, and after our conversation I was thrilled to have gained a more thoughtful perspective of what I was experiencing. In about a week, after he recommended a specific mindful approach to tackling my anxiety, I discovered that I was already more comfortable and more capable of calming myself when I started to feel the dread of anxiety coming.

At this present time, months have passed since our chat and I am elated to report that I have not had an incident in over a month. I couldn't imagine how I would be feeling now if I hadn't spoke with Daron, and I cannot stress enough how highly I recommend his insight!

I worked with Daron for about a year, which included the pregnancy and birth of my first child, learning and practicing mindfulness strategies. What I appreciate about my time learning from Daron was his accessible approach to teaching something that can seem very complicated and intimidating. By making it practical and doable, he helped me learn that mindfulness is something that can be incorporated into everyday life by very everyday people. His strategies helped me to develop coping skills for everyday challenges such as work stress or physical discomfort. I deeply appreciate investing my time learning valuable skills that I will be able to carry with me over time and across a variety of scenarios.